Israeli Hasbara Revises Timor–Leste’s History

Dr. Vacy Vlaszna, a long standing in TL course

Opinion By Dr Vacy Vlazna

On President Ramos-Horta’s online magazine[1] is posted a piece by Amira Arnon, ambassador of Israel to Timor-Leste, in which she makes the outrageous statement that Timor-Leste and Israel have ‘a lot in common’.

There is a Hebrew expression 'hasbara' meaning 'propaganda' i.e. lies. Apart from Arnon's extolling of Timor-Leste's beauty, her insulting comparison of Timor-Leste’s and Israel's struggles for independence is pure hasbara - 

"The first thing that comes to my mind is that both countries, Israel and Timor-Leste, have a lot in common. Both are small countries which fought for their independence and sacrificed best of their people for a national redemption." 

As a career diplomat, Arnon, has probably been put on notice to salvage Israel’s decaying reputation as a humane democracy. Quite the challenge for Israel’s diplomatic Hasbarats given Israel’s indisputable documented apartheid policies, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hence her silver tongue flicks away like flies unpalatable facts to stop the rot and to snare another vote for Israel against the Palestinian proposal for statehood in September.

The fact is, Timor-Leste’s long struggle for independence from the brutal Indonesian occupation is not Israel's but Palestine's story.

Like Timor, the land of Palestine was violently occupied with the go-ahead by the international community. More than 500 Palestinian villages were destroyed by Israeli militias with 750,000 Palestinian refugees dispossessed of their homes and with no right of return to this day.

Daily, Palestinian children, youth, mothers, fathers are subjected to violence, killings, humiliation, checkpoints, incarceration, the theft of their land and livelihoods at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Forces. Timorese blood and dignity was likewise shed.

Israeli colonial settlers, akin to the masses of Indonesian transmigrants that flooded East Timor, reinforce the injustice and illegality of Israel's occupation and apartheid system.  

Just as Timor was systematically shut off from the world, the West Bank and to a worse degree, Gaza are vast prisons where Israelis control Palestinian land and sea borders and airspace and within Palestinians survive in desperation, trauma and poverty.

To remind the world of Timor-Leste’s resistance to the illegal Indonesian occupation, its intrepid  Falantil guerrillas maintained  a 24 year armed struggle for independence. Similarly poorly armed Hamas and Fatah resistance fighters face off one of the largest best-equipped armies in the world.

Perhaps in the vein of remembered resistance, Ramos-Horta commented ,

I also believe that demonizing the Hamas or Hezbollah and declaring them "terrorists" is far too simplistic and unwise. The reality is that Hamas and Hezbollah have not been involved in terrorist activities outside the region. One well-known "terrorist", Yasser Arafat, signed the now forgotten Oslo Peace Accord and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 along with Shimon Peres and the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.[2]

Furthermore it is impossible to see the lot that Israel has in common with Timor-Leste. Timor is not a nuclear military power, it is not a rogue nation that is in contempt of UN resolutions calling for peace, it is not an apartheid state; it is not an illegal occupier; it is not a  viscous god playing with the lives and deaths of nearly six million souls.

As with Indonesia’s 27th province , the USA, Australia, UK and EU turn their backs from the human tragedy that is occupied Palestine and permit Israel's impunity to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The international betrayals of  the Timorese and Palestinians are all the more obscene in the brave light of Timorese and Palestinian support of the Allies in WWII.  Australian 2/2 and 2/4 Commandoes have testified that they owe their lives to the help of Timorese who were killed in their thousands as retribution by the occupying Japanese power. And it is on the record that“The British had enlisted 6,000 Palestinian Arabs during the Second World War and 1,700Palestinian Arabs were recruited into the Trans-Jordanian Frontier Force or T.J.F.F.”[3]

Arnon’s hasbara disrespects the Truth of Palestinian suffering, dishonours the Truth of Palestinian courage and rights and exploits Timor-Leste’s history.

Dr Vacy Vlazna is Coordinator of Justice for Palestine Matters. She was Human Rights Advisor to the GAM team in the second round of the Acheh peace talks, Helsinki, February 2005 and was coordinator of the East Timor Justice Lobby as well as serving in East Timor with UNAMET and UNTAET from 1999-2001. 

 

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[1] Amira Arnon, “A Lot in Common”, Magazine, Presidência da República, p.27, May 2011

[2] Jose Ramos-Horta, “Reflections on a Visit to Israel and Palestine”, Huffington Post, 3 August 2011

[3]   The 1948 Arab Israeli War: Reference, The Full Wiki, 2011 http://bongowww.thefullwiki.org/1948_Arab_Israeli_War#British_Mandate_administration_and_training_of_local_Arabs_and_Jews

Tempo Semanal Exclusive - Timor-Leste Helps PDT Win: $528 million Pledged to PDT and other winners by the G20.

President Barack Obama, President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada present an award to Scott Gilmore of Peace Dividend Trust at the SME (small and medium sized enterprises) Finance Challenge Award Winner Ceremony at the G-20 summit in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

On 12 November 2010 Peace Divident Trust (PDT) won not only one of the 14 G20 SME Finance Challenge awards but were also given one of three People's Choice Award and were thus presented with the award by President Obama and other leaders at the G20 Summit in Seoul, South Korea.  PDT won the award for a new project model  Factor Finance for Procurement.  World famous Forbes Magazine carried photos of the award ceremony here.  $528 million have been pledged by the G20 to PDT and the other winners.
This could not have happened had Timorese, in addition to (Haitians and Afghans) - members of the communities in which PDT currently work - not voted. On 5 November 2010 President Jose Ramos-Horta even called upon members of the public to vote for PDT.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (C), U.S. President Barak Obama (third from L) and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (third from R) pose with SME Finance Challenge Award people’s choice winners Scott Gilmore, Peace Dividend Trust executive director (L); Sylvia Beate Wisniwski, European Fund for Southeast Europe executive director (second from L); Obama, Myung-bak, and Harper; SME Finance Challenge Award people’s choice winner Onno Schellekens, Medical Credit Fund co-founder (second from right), and Bill Carter, Ashoka's diamond leader for Africa - at the closing of the G-20 Seoul Summit on Nov. 12.  

President Obama

On 12 November the Ashoke Foundation, organiser of the G20 SME Finance Challenge issued a statement that. "G-20 Commits More Than One-Half Billion Dollars to Challenge Winners People’s Choice Winners Announced for the G-20 SME Finance Challenge  (Washington, DC – November 12, 2010) At a ceremony closing the G-20 Summit in Seoul Korea, the G-20 agreed to commit a total of US $528 million to scale up the winning proposals to increase financing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the online G-20 SME Finance Challenge. The Group of 20 and Ashoka’s Changemakers, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, selected the 14 best worldwide models of catalyzing finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through an online competition. Korea, the U.S., Canada, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have agreed to launch an SME Finance Innovation Fund and committed a total of US $528 million to support the fund. The form of funding provided to the winning proposals will vary based on their individual requirements, and may include grants for technical assistance or capacity-building, risk sharing or first-loss capital, mezzanine capital, and investment capital.

President Obama with Timor-Leste Ambassador to USA, Constancio Pinto (far right) and his family.

Ashoka reports that President Obama stated that “I am very pleased that we have been able to launch this concrete program through the G20 that is making a difference in people’s lives,” Obama said. “Between the Koreans, Canadians, and the U.S., we are going to contribute $528 million to put into practice some of the extraordinary ideas that are represented by the winners, and to boost the actual work they are already doing. When it comes to creating jobs and opportunity, often times it’s the small and medium sized enterprises that make all the difference in people’s lives, and one of the biggest challenges for such companies is to make sure they receive the financing that they need."


PDT Executive Director, Mr. Scott Gilmore told Tempo Semanal on 13 November from Seoul International Airport that ""It was very gratifying to see an idea that was born in Timor-Leste, being honoured on the world stage by President Obama and other leaders. We are grateful to the people of Timor-Leste for their support.  Their votes won PDT the G20 People's Choice award. I am also personally grateful for President Ramos-Horta's ongoing and vocal support for our work helping Timorese entrepreneurs and creating Timorese jobs."

The idea of PDT born in Timor-Leste during the UNTAET period 1999-2002.  During that time, PDT's Scott Gilmore, his colleague Edward Rees, and others were working for the UN and other international organisations in Timor-Leste following the 1999 Popular Consultation.  While they believed that the overall mission of the international community was a valuable one they were disappointed that so much money could be spent with so little impact and return on investment.  UNTAET and its successors were highly limited in getting much done largely due to do the fact that the way and means in which the international community operates in fragile and conflict affected states around the world is flawed.  According to Mr. Rees "We found that the system is resistant to new ideas and change, for political, bureaucratic and and practical reasons; but that change was and is still desperately needed".

One area in which PDT is concerned is how the international community spents its money.  So little is directed towards practical economic development.  Given the fact that peace rests in many ways upon a robust economic base it was an opportunity missed by UNTAET, and its partners that they were spending so little time and money on rebuilding Timor-Leste's economy.  UNTAET (and its subsequent missions UNMISET, UNOTIL and now UNMIT) and its partners have large procurement budgets that were/are making foreigners rich as opposed to the people that were the primary client - the Timorese. Timor's own Lao Hamutuk has detailed the gap between commitments and delivery in Timor aid in a September 2009 report.

Recently AusAID, Timor-Leste's biggest and most important donor, announced a major reversal in its Aid policy in Timor-Leste with a decision to dramatically reduce the number high paid consultants that they employ in Timor-Leste - recognising that they have had a bad approach in the last 10 years.  According to ABC News in Australia "Australia will phase out more than a third of its adviser positions in East Timor over the next two years. Australia's aid agency, AusAID, will cut 29 of its 82 advisory positions in East Timor in a shake up that is aimed at making its aid more effective. The move follows similar cuts for Papua New Guinea and is part of a review of how advisers are used across the whole AusAID system."  Mr. Gary Lee of Australia's AID WATCH is quoted as saying "It is a welcome step but it is overdue in the sense that Australia has a historical reliance, I would say over reliance, on technical assistance and the use of advisers within the aid programme. And what this has translated to is that a lot of the aid money ends up back in the hands of Australian companies, consultants and advisers, and not enough money is directed to the delivery of basic services."

Some years later after UNTAET PDT was founded and launched its first Peace Dividend Marketplace (PDM) project in Afghanistan in 2006, with follow on projects in Timor-Leste in 2007 and Haiti in 2009. According to Mr. Rees, "We plan to move forward with a PDM project in Liberia and perhaps also South Sudan in 2011."  He also stated that "We are hopeful that the international community and the Government of Timor-Leste adopt a Timor-Leste First policy, in which the procurement of local goods and services is prioritised as and where appropriate and practical, this type of policy has been adopt in other g7+ states such as Afghanistan, and is being strongly considered in Haiti."

According to Mr. Rees, "These projects create connections between international buyers and local suppliers to build capacity through direct experience, create wealth through the award of contracts and thus create jobs.  They are a brand new approach to rebuilding countries in the wake of conflict and other disasters."  He also added, " I would like to personally thank Ilidio Ximenes, Brigida Soares, Eduardo da Costa and the rest of the Timorese staff in Dili both past and present, as without their hard work this award would never have come to pass."

But PDT project in Timor-Leste remains under funded and its future beyond May 2011 is not certain.  According to Mr. Gilmore "We would like to ensure our Timorese supporters that PDT is working hard to secure additional donor funding that will allow us to continue our work in Timor-Leste".

To date PDT has been funded in Timor-Leste by AusAID, Norway, the Canada Fund, the Arsenault Family Foundation, and eni.

President Horta Commends the Group of 20 and Congratulates PDT

Today 5 November Presidend Jose Ramos-Horta commended the Group of 20 Nations for awarded the SME FInance Challenge Prize to the Peace Dividend Trust.

Press Release from President Jose Ramos-Horta

In his statement he said that "I have long been a supporter of PDT. It is an organization which had its genesis in the experience of former United Nations staff that worked in UNTAET in Timor-Leste a decade ago. PDT has been working in Timor-Leste since 2007, connecting international buyers with domestic suppliers, thus maximizing the local economic impact of the international presence in Timor-Leste. Its a unique and much needed way of doing business and I am very pleased that Peace Dividend Trust's new initiative named "Factor Finance for Procurement" has been chosen as a winner in the G20 SME Finance Challenge. I am especially pleased that if PDT wins the current online voting for the People's Choice Award that it is President Obama himself that will present the award to PDT."


President Ramos-Horta "urges members of the public for vote for PDT at http://www.changemakers.com/node/89252".

Horta Visit PDT Critised Donors - Media Coverage Horta Visit

East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta is not satisfied yet by the way of the donor’s countries spending their aids money in East Timor. Last two months Horta has criticised badly Aus Aids by cut it funds towards Peace Dividend Thrust. After Horta sent a protest letter to Australian Ambassador and believed has raised the issue with Canberra the Aus Aids increased not significantly but very small some more amounts make it up to more or less US$400,000.

Even the Aus Aid has gave US$ 400,000,- to PDT but likely the fund is not enough. Which cost some offices in the districts have to closed down. Again President Jose Ramos horta who is very concerning of reducing the Timorese poverty again annoyed at the donors rhetoric yesterday. He is very unhappy with the donors and will asked East Timor PM to help the organisation which help build Local economy.
Told Tempo Semanal was told that some of the donors not happy with the media coverage of Horta’s visit to PDT.

Breaking News: Ramos-Horta Pardons Attackers

President Jose Ramos-Horta 2008

The President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta has pardoned for FALINTIL-FDTL officer Gastao Salsinha and his colleagues and the members of now deceased rebel leader Major Alfredo Reinado, including (Marcelo Caetano and Amaro Susar).

Gastao Salsinha Surrenders Weapons 28 April 2008, President Ramos-Horta watches.

Marcelo Caetano (left) with Major Alfredo Reinado (deceased) Gleno Ermera 2007.

Ex-FALINTIL and former PNTL member of Reinado group - Amaro Susar waves on his surrender

Salsinha was the Spokesman for the FALINTIL-FDTL Petitioners in 2006-2008.  The Petitioners were known and the group of "594" although their members were much less.  This group left the defence force protesting conditions of service in the defence force and east-west discrimination.  The resulting protests degraded into violence the now infamous Crisis of 2006 started on 28 April 2006, lasting until the death of Major Alfredo on 11 February 2008 when he Salsinha and colleagues lead attacks on President Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.  Ramos-Horta was badly wounded while Gusmao escaped unhurt.

Ironically the pardon was published in the Government Gazette on 20 August 2010 FALINTIL day - the 35th Anniversary of FALINTIL.

Salsinha had been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment following been found guilty of leading the attack on Prime Minister Gusmao's convoy in Dare on the morning of 11 February 2008.  Just before that attack Major Alfredo Reinado was responsible for leading armed men to the house of President Jose Ramos-Horta. During the firefight Alfredo was killed and Ramos-Horta was shot several times and evacuated to Darwin.  Later on Ramos-Horta claimed to have been shot by Timorese followers in Alfredo's group.

Despite being published in the Gazette Salsinha remains in Becora prison pending an official court order being issued to the prison authorities.

Timor-Leste is a country in which there has been some considerable political interference in court decisions - even by President Ramos-Horta.

On 30 August 2009 Timor-Leste released Maternus Bere former leader of 1999 Laksaur militia. This was a decision which caused a great deal of criticism from civil society.  The Prime Minister was called to speak and be questioned by the National Parliament, the Minister of Justice was investigated.  Ordinary people show some considerable dislike, "I think the law is only valid for those who steal a chicken, and not for those who commit crimes against the state or against humanity,' said Abilio Lopes a University student in Dili.

President Horta defended his decision stating "The Petitioners and Salsinha were victims as well.  So after some discussions with the Government and Opposition Leaders I have decided to end the 2006 problem."

Breaking News: Timorese Historical Leaders Hold Closed Meeting in Maubisse

Most of Timor-Leste's main leadership spent 21 August in Maubisse, Timor-Leste.  It is expected that the meeting will continue on 22 August.

The first day was closed to the media.

Tempo Semanal has been asked to attend the 22 August meeting.

According to Tempo Semanal sources in Maubisse Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, President Jose Ramo-Horta, Secretary-General of FRETILIN Mari Alkatiri, Vice Prime Minister Mario Carrascalao, Vice Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres, Major General Taur Matan Ruak, and President of FRETILIN Lu Olo are in attendance.  The First President of Timor-Leste Fransisco Xavier Amaral while invited is not in attendance due to poor health, and is now in Singapore seeking medical attention.

The gathering of the historical leaders of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was initiated by the Government with support from the Catholic Church and and the Diocese of Baucau's Justice and Peace Commission.

Tempo Semanal's source said that the leaders' gathering is to seek "mutual understanding of each others positions, opinions and expectations for future generations.  They are sitting together for the cause of future generations.  They are putting aside political party interests, and just seeking to discuss national interests."

"The historical leaders from 1975 until the 1980s are in Maubisse to discuss the issue of possible new leaders from the next generations to carry out the process of national development and state building into the future", said Tempo Semanal sources.

The leaders are engaging in a wide ranging discussion under the moderation of the Bishop of Baucau in concordance with other dioceses' in Timor-Leste.  Another source told Tempo Semanal that the "leaders are not in Maubisse as state leaders or as party leaders but as founders of the nation and as leading national figures with a view to moving to the future."

The source told Tempo Semanal that "this is simply the first phase, and second phase will include the second generation leaders."  END

President Horta Return From China no Comment on Refugees Centre

The President of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, Jose Ramos-Horta has returned to East Timor after attending the Shanghai Expo.


According to the Head of State the Expo was very successful, however the when asked about other matters the President refused to comment.


"I will only talk about the Expo and no other matters because I have just returned. If there are any other questions will talk in the next coming week.”


First of all Mr. Ramos-Horta congratulated the Chinese Government. "I would like to congratulate the Chinese authorities who made this Expo event bigger than any other previous Expo," said Ramos-Horta.


Mr. Ramos-Horta also praised East Timor's General Commissioner to the Shanghai Expo, Mr. Agio Pereira (Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers) and his two deputies for their hard work for the event.


Despite saying he would not discuss other matters the LUSA correspondent present at the press conference asked a question in regard to East Timor becoming a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). President Ramos- Horta gave a positive answer. However, the Head of State rejected to comment on the National Parliament’s recent and unanimous rejection of the Australian PM's proposal to build a processing centre in East Timor for asylum seekers and refugees seeking admission to Australia. "Sorry I am not answering that," President Ramos-Horta said.


Ramos-Horta promised will talk about the issue after discussing the matter with the Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao.


Futhermore, President Ramos-Horta chastised Jose Belo the editor in chief of Tempo Semanal who recently published an Opinion Editorial Sydney Morning Herald on 16 July. "I am not as intelligent as a certain journalist who wrote an opinion piece for a foreign newspaper who have strong opinions on this issue," criticized Horta.


Editorial UPDATE:

"I am very happy today when i saw my Timorese journalist veteran and now my President angry at me because it makes me remember a message from my mentor Max Stahl, when he told me that a good article or story is when made those in the story are made angry ," said Jose Belo.

In September 2009 President Jose Ramos-Horta awarded a Medal of Recognition to Tempo Semanal for its work in Journalism in Timor-Leste. During the award ceremony Horta "in his remark says that if later Jose Belo and Tempo Semanal would target him in the future no problem."

Australia: No to a Pipeline to Timor for Gas, but Yes to a Pipeline to Timor for Refugees.

Jose Belo, Editor, Tempo Semanal

On 6 July 2010 Julia Gillard, newly appointed Prime Minister of Australia after deposing former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a Cabinet meeting room, has demonstrated that she knows less about Timor-Leste than her predecessor; and shows as little inclination to deal with a neighbor as a friend on equal terms.  It would seem that she prefers to use Timor-Leste for domestic political purposes. Prime Minister Gilliard, has after a meeting with President Horta, announced without consulting with the Timorese Government, an Australian policy to set up a pipeline of Australia bound asylum seekers to Timor-Leste to what is called a "regional processing centre".  

Ever since its White Australia policy came to an end not so long ago the matter of illegal immigrants, and asylum seekers has been a hot political issues in Australian domestic politics pitting the left versus the right.

However, while the Australian Government seems unwilling to assist Timor-Leste in leveraging Woodside, a major Australian petro firm, into developing downstream pipeline and refinery facilities in Timor-Leste it seems quite happy to unilaterally announce that it seeks to build a "pipeline" to a processing centre for refugees and asylum seekers in Timor-Leste.  So Australia gets the oil and gas and Timor-Leste gets the asylum seekers.  Sounds like a bad deal.  Especially when one considers that the oil and gas is Timor-Leste's, while the asylum seekers are seeking refuge in Australia.

Timorese reaction was been swift.  Vice Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres has said its not desirable, many Members of Parliament and civil society have strongly rejected the proposal.  However on 8 July Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, in what is no doubt a cute political trick, has suggested that President Ramos-Horta continue discussions with Prime Minister Gilliard.  Political trick?  Well Gusmao knows that Ramos-Horta has no constitutional competency in this area, and so any deal struck can be cast aside.  Unless of course Prime Minister Gusmao is seeking to cut a deal - one which sees the Australian Government strong arming Woodside into a pipeline north to a Timorese LNG refinery in exchange for establishing an processing centre for asylum seekers in Timor-Leste.

This however is likely moot as Woodside appears immovable and ultimately its bosses are shareholders and not voters. Although one has to consider that if it chooses Canberra can make life easy or hard for Woodside in many different ways.

What is however entirely clear is that Timor-Leste lacks the political interest in a refugee processing centre, domestic political opinion is very much not positive.  Additionally, who would run it? Timorese institutions have enough trouble managing their own affairs. Its hard to envsion a well run processing centre in Timor-Leste, unless its run by the Australians, which is certainly not going to be political acceptable.  Even then would Australia run a centre which is amenable to Timorese sensibilities?  Australia talks about multi-lateral organisations running a centre, such as IOM and UNHCR - which is just a smoke screen for an "Aussie" project.

Australia;s main processing centre Christmas Island is full and being expanded.  But when space is limited look to Timor-Leste it would seem.

They did this in Nauru in 2002/3. At one stage Canberra had over 1300 Afghans, Iraqis and others holed up in substandard conditions, in a legal limbo at a Nauru processing centre in 2004.   Australia paid $30 million to the Government of Nauru to operate the centre.  It ended up in massive cost overruns, hunger strikes, human rights abuses - and international castigation.  

But Timor-Leste is not Nauru.  Prime Minister Gillard best remember this.

This is a refugee boat landing in Christmas Island in March 2010 - Australia's primary offshore refugee processing centre - with capacity for 2,300 its nearly full.

This is an Afghan refugee asylum seeker in Nauru in 2003.  Having stitched his mouth for a hunger strike protesting conditions in Nauru.

This is the Christmas Island Detention/Processing Centre in 2009.

Bob Brown Urge Canberra to Help TL to Put Presure on Woodside to Bring Pipeline to TL

The leader of Green Party in Australian Parliament told Tempo Semanal that he wants to see Australian Government to support Timor Leste’s position to bring the pipeline from gGreater Sunrise to process on Timor Leste soil. His position is in line with Dili but so far Canberra still silent in regard to the issue. The long Saga between Dili and Woodside over the pipeline direction. The Woodside and Timor Leste Government stand off the issue of the pipeline. Since the end of April Woodside and it’s joint venture has announced their preferred option. It’s build an FLNG. But Timor Leste Government has oppose the company’s announcement. Dili is now getting support from Australian Parliament as Sen Bob Brown step in to voice the Timorese concern. Bob Brown (BB) has came to Dili to stood together with some civil society to protest his own government position in few years ago in front of Hotel Timor. To find out more about Sen Bob Brown's (BB) opinion lets read the exclusive interview done by Tempo Semanal (TS) last week.

TS: Your position that Pipeline from Greater Sunrise must come East Timor is similar to East Timor Government and people position. But Woodside and its partners disagree with you. What can you and the Australian Government can do under this situation?

BB: The Australian Government is a member of the Joint Commission and Sunrise Commission, along with the Government of Timor-Leste. As a member of these decision-making bodies the Australian Government can set conditions for the exploitation of Greater Sunrise. The Australian Government can also take a strong stand in voicing its opinion to Woodside. It’s just a matter of having the political will to put support for Timor-Leste’s development ahead of support for an Australian company’s interests.

TS: Pipe to East Timor according to Government here said it will help national Development and reduce dependency on Australian aid. Do you think in this sense Pipep-line to East Timor is also Australian national interest?

BB: Absolutely – it is in Australia’s interest for Timor-Leste to have a strong economy and good employment. We want our neighbours to be vibrant and stable. Having access to your own gas resource is likely to assist Timor-Leste along its development path.

TS: What the impact to the environment if the pipe lines do come to Timor Leste?
BB: Any major industrial development will need an environmental impact assessment to ensure it can be developed in a safe way that does not damage the local environment. This needs to occur whether the pipeline goes to Timor Leste or Darwin. The BP disaster in the United States reminds us that this industry is not risk-free. Both Governments need to ensure that any development plan has extremely rigorous environmental conditions and controls locked in.

TS: Do you think the standoff between Woodside and Timor Leste over the pipeline issue can affect the relation between the two country Australia and East Timor?
BB: Yes - this is why the Australian Greens believe that Prime Minister Rudd needs to step in and demonstrate special good-will towards the Timorese people. The intention of the Treaty that we jointly signed was to see these resources developed for the benefits of the people of Timor-Leste and Australia, not for the sole benefit of private enterprises such as Woodside.

TS: After 10 years East Timor Independence today many people still consider Timor as one of 10th poorest countries in the world and our people living bellow poverty line. What do you say about millions of dollars of Australian aids to ET?
BB: The Australian Greens believe that the aid budget could be increased. Australia lags behind in making a fair contribution to reduction of poverty worldwide and its consequences on both lives and on global security. The Greens believe that the Australian Government needs to adhere to the international standard for aid – which is to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on aid – it is only half that target in 2010.

TS: Do you have any message to East Timorese because they have celebrate its 8 anniversary of referendum?
BB: Congratulations to the people of Timor-Leste on this 8th anniversary! Your growing nation has much to feel proud about and the Australian people hold a very warm place in our hearts for Timor Leste.

Prezidente Timor-Leste Sai Hirus tanba Projetu Dame nian Taka

LINDSAY MURDOCH, DARWIN Sydney Morning Herald/The Age: 

Original in English

Juñu 10, 2010

Prezidente Timor-Leste Jose Ramos Horta ataka ona ajénsia asisténsia internasionál nian AusAID tanba taka ho obriga atividade ne’ebé tuir nia hanoin nu’udár nasaun ne’e nia projetu asisténsia nian ida ne’ebé susesu tebes entre sira balu ne’ebé iha.

Dr Ramos Horta dehan katak nia sei hato’o ba Primeiru Ministru Kevin Rudd, bainhira sira hasoru malu iha Canberra iha fulan ne’e nia laran, katak “maioria boot” husi asisténsia doadór nian ne’ebé haruka ba iha Timor-Leste gasta ona ba iha konsultór sira, misaun sira estudu nian, relatóriu no rekomendasaun sira.

Iha karta diretu ida horisehik ba Peter Heyward, embaixadór Australia nian iha Dili, Dr Ramos Horta husu ba AusAID atu muda ninia desizaun atu ko’a nia finansiamentu ba projetu ida ne’ebé ninia operasaun hala’o husi Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) ne’ebé diriji hikas ona pelumenus osan millaun $16 ba Timor-Leste nia emprezáriu ki’ik sira.

Lanxa iha tinan 2007, projetu ne’e konsentra iha kampaña ida “Sosa iha Rai-Laran, Harii Timor-Leste'' ne’ebé halo parseria ba sosa-nain sira internasionál no mós nasionál nian ho fornesedór doméstika sira, hodi nune’e diriji fundu asisténsia nian diretamente ba iha Timor-Leste nia ekonomia.

Dr Ramos Horta hateten katak projetu ne’e muda ona maneira oinsá komunidade internasionál sira halo sira nia operasaun iha Timor-Leste no fornese ona “servisu krítiku sira ne’ebé úniku ne’ebé mak apoia ami nia esforsu sira hodi kria empregu no harii ekonomia ida ne’ebé viável. Lahanesan ho projetu barabarak ne’ebé hetan finansiamentu husi doadór, nia prodús ona rezultadu sira ne’ebé konkretu (tanjivel), kria serbisu no prodús rendimentu impostu nian.''

Projetu ne’e ninia objetivu prinsipál ida mak atu elimina kompañia internasionál sira nia knaar ho kontratu asisténsia nian sira ne’ebé iha folin boot no mós konsultór rai-liur nian sira ne’ebé selu ho osan folin makaas tebes.

Prosesu ne’e replikadu ona ho susesu iha Afeganistaun no Haití.

Iha ninia karta, ne’ebé The Age obtein ona, Dr Ramos Horta husu ba AusAID atu hanaruk no aumenta valór husi ninia finansiamentu ba iha projetu ne’e no konsidera hodi adota polítika ida “Timor-Leste mak Uluk” ba Australia nia programa ajudu nian.

Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) fó sai deklarasaun ida iha semana ida-ne’e nia laran hodi haktuir katak ninia operasaun sira halo parseria (matchmaking) nian, treinamentu, merkadu (marketing) no distribuisaun  tender nian iha Timor-Leste nia provínsia (distritu) 13 ne’e sei hahú hamenus husi faze ida ba faze ida seluk hahú iha loron 1 Jullu anaunserke bele hetan apoiu adisionál husi doadór.

AusAID nia portavós ida haktuir ba The Age katak dalaruma tenke halo desizaun sira ne’ebé difisil kona-bá iha área ne’ebé loos mak atu gasta rekursu sira ne’ebé finitu (limitadu). Nia hateten katak AusAID sei fó finansiamentu hodi nune’e projetu Peace Dividend Trust nian bele liga Timoroan sira nia negósiu ho oportunidade sira liuhusi baze de dadus ida kona-bá lista negósiu nian to’o iha meadu tinan 2011.

AusAID nia desizaun ne’ebé atu ko’a (hamenus) ninia finansiamentu ba iha projetu ne’e ba valór osan hamutuk $120,000 deit iha tinan 2010-11 husi valór totál ne’ebé aas liu hamutuk millaun $1.2 iha tinan 2007-8, koinside ho revizaun ida husi governu Rudd nian kona-bá utilizasaun asesór tékniku sira ba asisténsia internasionál nian no mós anúnsiu orsamentál nian ida katak Australia nia gastus ba asisténsia internasionál nian sei barak liu dobru to’o biliaun $8 iha tinan 2015.

Donors Dollars Dry Up, PDT has a Lack of Funding: Horta Sad

The Donors such as AusAID, and others have begin to step on the brake on providing assistance to the most famous project in Timor-Leste. PDT has begun to get serious illness in funding and will cease its activities while the local businesses were groaning because of losing a guide in the rural marketplace.

On Friday afternoon, the Tempo Semanal received a press release from Peace dividend Trust stating, “effective 1 July 2010 the Peace Dividend Marketplace project, and the "Buy Local, Build Timor-Leste" campaign operated by the Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) will begin to phase out due to a lack of funding. Based on the observation, this project is a good one and, “have successfully redirected over $16 million to Timorese entrepreneurs, PDT will regrettably cease the activities later in the year unless additional donor support can be found.”

“AusAID and other donor organizations were most likely to spend money in the town by paying high salary to their people who worked as advisers, although often with no result, rather than to cooperate with NGOs which are working closely with the Timorese in the rural areas, said Antonino d. C. P. Ximenes, a student of UNTL.

“The donors always said that they wanted to help reduce poverty in Timor-Leste, while the NGOs which have made good contribution only received limited funding from AusAID and USAID. I have the suspicions that the Australians in Dili do not want this country to get better so that they can use as a project for its advisers,” said the student of the faculty of economy.

This suspicion might be true because within the last decade, the Australian government has spent A$820 million in grant and according to the plan, they will increase the amount for poverty reduction fund by A$600 from the Australians for the next five years in Timor-Leste.

In relation to the ineffective spending of money from the Australian aid to Timor-Leste, President Horta will speak with PM Kevin Rudd to ask his people in Dili to increase their productivity because there has been more spending but the people are still poor. It shall mirror from what the Chinese government has done. They have only spent a small amount of money but have constructed many new buildings. “I will speak with PM Kevin Rudd within next month when I pay a visit to Australia and will ask him to spend more money into projects which will give intensive work in Timor-Leste such as to make construction of the roads in the rural areas, agriculture, reforestation as well as improving the education in the rural areas by rebuilding the schools, which often being forgotten. Build health clinics, community centers, water and sanitation. I will also ask him to reduce technical assistance (advisers) because there has been lots of money being spent by AusAID to pay for advisers.”

The President wanted to see Australia, “to use more of its donation to the physical and concrete projects in this country to create more job opportunities and generating income for the people of Timor Leste.

Based on the report of The Daily Telegraph on 23/05/2010 that the Australian funding has been ineffectively allocated to pay for the consultants’ mega-salary and contracts which enrich private companies, such as in Dili, people are suspicious of GRM and said that AusAID has paid an adviser, Gerald Gahima, who is the former Rwandan Minister of Justice. “Beginning February 2008, he worked as a senior adviser for the justice sector in Timor-Leste for two years and was tax-free while his salary was paid by the tax-payers in Australia in a total amount of US$757,960,” published in the Australian newspaper.

In 2009, AusAID Dili received a funding allocation of $117 million, however, either with the lack of capacity in execution or of no good intention, AusAID Dili can only spend $94 million and the remaining was handed back to Canberra, meanwhile PDT and other organizations which are in need, were lack of funding and starts floating.

PDT informed, “Since its launch of operation in 2007, the PDT team in Timor-Leste has accelerated over $16 million ($16,463,294.21) of confirmed new spending to Timorese entrepreneurs. The estimated result is as high as $23 million ($23,060,000). PDT has facilitated more than 10,000 contracts through its matchmaking services with a total value of nearly $8 million. Of these nearly $7 million were directed into economically disadvantaged rural areas. The annual economic impact of the project is comparable to 0.41% of GDP in 2007; 1.51% in 2008, and 0.91% in 2009.” 

The money from the donor countries are to support the people of Timor-Leste, however it is often only mentioned in number while the actual money remains in Canberra, Washington and London. “This project was launched to address the critical problem that only a small fraction of international money being spent to support Timor-Leste is actually spent on Timorese businesses.  The vast majority goes to international companies and consultants. The Marketplace project fixes this by providing services that help drive donor spending into the local economy, which in turn generates wealth, creates jobs, and produces tax revenue,” said in the PDT statement.

PDT has provided five services to connect international buyers with Timorese suppliers.

Presently the project’s Business Verification team, in cooperation with the MTCI, has verified 2,700 businesses in Timor-Leste, and each has a unique business profile found at BuildingMarkets.org.  The Timor-Leste site is due for an upgrade to a full Timor-Leste Business Portal in the next 3-4 weeks.  This team has also generated key reports on the state of the private sector and the labour market in Timor-Leste, found here. Since its launch on 20 May 2008, Timor-Leste at BuildingMarkets.org has had 20,000 visits with business profiles being viewed 98,000 times.

“The project Matchmaking Team pro actively connects international and national buyers and domestic suppliers across the country.  To date the Matchmaking Team has facilitated or created over 14,000 business transactions with a confirmed value of $8 million.”

“The Tender Distribution Service (TDS) pushes tenders via email, the web, SMS and hardcopy to businesses in Timor-Leste.  It has provided support services to businesses in developing their bids.  To date the TDS has distributed 496 tenders to 23,000 recipients (many repeat clients).  The value of tenders won by PDT clients is over $8,000,000.”

Francisco de Asis, the second person in-charge of the Raflima Company which buys cattle in Covalima district to export to Indonesia, expressed his sadness and requested the donors to extend the life of this organization.

The company has officially started its activity in 2006. Either in July or August 2006, the Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) begins to provide them with information. “At that time, some PDT staff members have helped us with information regarding the cattle in some areas which we have not reached. We often only goes to the places that are nearby but they helped us by extending our coverage.” Fransisco de Asis told this newspaper on Friday (04/06).

He added, “There are some places that we did not cover in our search of cows that generates profit. However, they reached these places and collect the information which then we use to find the cattle we looked for. Since then, we have been a good partner.”

Just recently they are going to help us again. PDT will zinc for roofing and timber. That’s why we are so pleased with the assistance from PDT.

“But then we heard that PDT is going to be closed. This means that you (the donors and Government) are going to destroy the cooperation which we have created in order to build this country.”

“We are now working together with PDT. They often help provide information from other districts such as Same and Manatuto because they have staffs in every place that collects information for us. We often buy cows based on the information they provided. “

Indeed, if PDT is to close its operation, this entrepreneur from Suai feels like he has lost his other ear. “If PDT phase out, it will give a huge impact to our businesses because we will lose our source of marketplace information.”

Fransisco hoped that PDT will get a kind support so that it will remains operating in order to help creating linkages between them and the local products in the rural areas which they can buy and sell in the marketplace. “To an extent possible, we want them to exist because they have helped connect us with the products from the people in the villages and hamlets. They worked from door to door.  Whenever they found the local products such cattle, candlenut or other products, they will quickly pass on the information to us and then we will buy it our self.”

We often could not reach all villages and the places that are distant. They are the one who have searched for the information and passing it on to us. According to Fransisco, whom, with the assistance of PDT, has been able to export cattle from Suai to Batam in Indonesia, since the 2006 crisis to date, he already forgot the total number of cattle collected with the information support from PDT. In one time the number of cattle was from two to three hundred per export. “We have just exported 190 cows.”

“We are satisfied with the information from PDT because it helps generate more income to our company,” Francisco ended.

The NGO’s Marketing and Advocacy Team manages the Buy Local Build Timor-Leste campaign, which creates awareness and knowledge about the project and the domestic private sector in general.”

PDT’s training activities were suspended in 2008 due to lack of funding, but 2008 saw PDT launch "Doing Business with UNDP" guidebooks in 2008, designed to assist local business win tenders with UNDP.”

Agusto Pinto, the director of Olobai Star carpentry in Viqueque feels sad with the situation PDT is facing. “There has been some times where we have lack of information on the market. However, the presence of PDT has generated income to us because they have helped linking us with the buyers in other places,” Agusto informed Tempo Semanal on Friday (04/06).

“For us, PDT is like a bridge. When the bridge is broken, we will be in the other side of the river while our clients were in the other end. So, we still need its assistance. Therefore we would like to ask the donors to help them so that they can help us delivering service to the poor. Since we are isolated and having lack of access to information, we have been able to sell our product with the assistance of PDT.”

“PDT is our voice by providing information to the clients. When we produced chairs, they are the one who helped us finding the market for the products and, at least, we earned some money from this.”

Agusto acknowledged that they have not had enough experience therefore he requested PDT to, “keep assisting us because we are still unable to stand alone in selling our goods in order to gain benefit.”

The director of the company which supplies chairs to Dili, including to some state institutions, made an appeal to the Government and the donors to support this organization which have acted as their eyes, arms and ears.“I would like to make an appeal to the Government and the donors, which have provided funding to PDT, to prolong their assistance. We have learned a little bit. We will get the impact if suddenly they were closed, especially for us to be connected with the buyers. All these are a process which takes time. Moreover it has internet connection and the channels or staffs which have been with us to go through all these progress.”

Alfredo Malibere, the coordinator of Hametin Estadu group from Bobonaro, has also expressed his dissatisfaction with the donors’ attitude for not giving importance to the good service delivered by an NGO. However, they are more likely to give assistance to the people who are only sitting in Dili and writing reports.

Meanwhile in Bobonaro, Justinho Luis from Loko Jaya Ltd. whose business activity involves buying cattle from Manatuto, Viqueque and Maliana to export to Indonesia via Mota-Ain border, said that his company still needs the assistance from PDT because he is currently processing his document in order to get permission from Indonesia to allow him exporting these cattle to Indonesia.  “PDT is still assisting us and that we can move forward with their assistance. We will get stuck if they are closed,” Justinho expressed his sadness.

The President of the Republic, DR. Jose Ramos Horta who have gave his support to the NGO since 2009, expressed his sadness to this newspaper. “I am so upset with the donors who do not really provide their support to the work done by Peace Dividend Trust. If they (donors) often talked about supporting the local businesses, one of the ways is by connecting them with both the suppliers and buyers.”

The President of the Poor is so concerned with the children of the poor who will lose their job, therefore, on 06/07/2009 he recommended the donors to give more support to the PDT in its Matchmaking project in order to connect the businesses in the rural areas with those in the city and abroad, once again expressed his dissatisfaction with the donors’ work. “I am worried with the donors’ attitude which does not really supporting the work of the Peace Dividend Trust. If they often talked about supporting the local business, one of the ways to support them is by connecting them with the suppliers and buyers, “said Horta.

I am totally disappointed with some donors who does not show their firmness in providing support to Peace Dividend Trust as because it is an ONG which provide assistance to the development of local business and help them create links for buyers and suppliers, in particular to the small businesses in the rural areas who does not have information on the marketplace in Dili as well as the international marketplace. I am already discontent because the donors who often said to assist the local economy and support the private sector development withdraws from funding an NGO which actually has worked very well in developing the capacity of the small entrepreneurs. This really makes me surprised and discontented,” said Ramos Horta.

Nevertheless, Ms. Ali Gillies, the officer in-charge of AusAID Dili said that they will continue to support the project only by establishing the Business Directory. This shows that they are not listening and not supporting the concerns raised by President Horta regarding the Matchmaking which will give direct benefit to the businesses in the rural areas to help reduce poverty in Timor-Leste.

She said that AusAID has provided funding for three years with a total amount of A$2.63 million to promote business opportunities for the local suppliers. “We are glad that our support to the PDT has been successful in the development of local business directory and have facilitated many business transactions as a form of contribution to the private sector development in Timor-Leste,” said Ms. Ali diplomatically.

When questioned why shall reduce funding to other parts of the project, diplomatically Ali Gillies tried again to convince Tempo Semanal that PDT may be able get another funding as it has announced to reduce the number of staff by the end of July. Let’s see if AusAID will continue its support to PDT before July.

PDT works across Timor-Leste's 13 districts, assisting over 2,700 businesses, the Ministry of Tourism Commerce and Industry (MTCI) and other national partners.  They stand to lose a useful service when the Marketplace project closes in July 2010.

The Peace Dividend Marketplace Timor-Leste project was launched in August 2007. It has field offices in Baucau, Covalima, and Viqueque and works with local businesses in each of Timor-Leste's 12 rural districts in addition to Dili. 

PDT is grateful to the Ministry of Tourism Commerce and Industry (MTCI) for its partnership to date, and to its donors, AusAID, the Government of Norway, Eni, the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives and the Arsenault Family Foundation.

Doador Sulan Dollar PDT Falta Osan: Horta Triste

Doadór sira hanesan AusAID, no sira seluk hahu sama travaun atu ajuda projetu ne’ebe mais famozu iha Timor Leste hanesan PDT hahu hetan moras todan Finansamentu no sei taka sira nia atividade no emprezariu sira halerik tan ba sira sei lakon mata dalan iha merkadu Foho.

Iha loron Sexta feira loro kraik Tempo Semanal simu nota de imprensa ida husi Peace dividend Trust ne’e dehan, “hahú  iha loron 1 Jullu 2010 Peace Dividend nia projetu Merkadu nian, no mós kampaña "Sosa iha Rai-Laran, Harii Timor-Leste" ne’ebé funsiona husi Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) sei hahú hamenus husi faze ida ba faze ida seluk tanba falta iha finansiamentu. Tuir observsasaun projetu ne’e diak no, “susesu tebes diriji hikas ona osan Dollares Amerikanu millaun 16 (millaun $16) resin ba emprezáriu Timoroan sira, maibé PDT ho laran susar tebes sei hapara atividade sira hotu iha tinan ne’e nia rohan anaunserke bele hetan apoiu adisionál husi doadór.”

“Ausaid ho organizsaun sira seluk gosta liu maka hasai osan iha vila laran hodi fo salariu boot ba ninia ema sira mak sai asesor maibe dala barak liu la iha rezultadu duke halo servisu ho NGO ne’ebe hakbesik an ba Timor oan iha area rurais,”dehan Antonino d. C. P. Ximenes Mahasiswa UNTL.

“Doador sira sempre dehan sira hakarak tulun atu hamenus Ki’ak iha Timor Leste maibe kuandu ONG hanesan ida ne’ebe halo servisu diak mak Ausaid ho USaid sei foo menus ajuda tan ba hau deskonfia liu-liu Australia ninia emar sira iha Dili lakohi atu buat hotu diak lalais nune’e nasaun ne’e bele sai nafatin projetu ba ninia asesor sira,” dehan estudante fakuldade ekonomia ne’e.

Deskonfiansa husi Antonio bele loos tan ba iha dekada ida kotuk Australia gasta saugate ona milaun A$820 no tuir planu sira sei ajuda aumenta fundu hamenus kiak husi Australia iha Timor Leste ba tinan lima oin ho total A$600.

Ko’alia kona ba gasta arvisu osan husi ajuda Australia ba Timor Leste ne’e Presidente Horta sei hasa’e lia ba PM Kevin Rudd hodi bele husu ninia ema iha Dili bele hadia liu tan sira nia produtividade tan ba gasta barak maibe rezulta povu la haree duku Governu Xina gasta Uitoan maibe ita haree uma foun lubun ida. “Ha’u sei ba ko’alia ba PM Kevin Rudd iha fulan ne’e nia laran bainhira hau vizita ba Australia no sei husu ba nia atu aumenta liu tan osan ba projetu ne’ebe fo servisu intensive iha Timor Leste hanesan hadia dalai ha area rurais, agrikultura, kuda ai oan nune’e mos hadia edukasaun iha area rural katak hadia eskola iha fatin rurais ne’e dala barak haluha. Halo klinika, centru komunitariu, bee no sanitasaun. No sei husu atu hamenus osan ba asistencia tekniku (asesor sira) tan ba osan barak liu gasta husi Ausaid para selu asesor sira.”

Karau halibur iha Bobonaro atu faan ba sosadores sira husi Indonesia.

Presidente ne’e hakarak haree atu Australia, “uza barak liu osan doasaun ba projetu fiziku no konretu iha nasaun ne’e hodi kreia servisu barak no foo rendimentu ema iha Timor Leste.
Tuir reportajen husi jornal The Daily Telegraph loron 23/05/2010 katak osan ajuda husi Australia gasta saugati ba selu mega-salariu konltan sira nia no fo kontratu para hariku kompania privadu sira hanesan iha Dili ema deskonfia kompania GRM no dehan Ausaid selu asesor ida naran Gerald Gahima eis ministru Justica Rwanda nian. “Iha Fevereiru tinan 2008 nia servisu hanesan asesor senior ba justice iha timor Leste durante tinan rua no livre husi selu taxa maibe ninia salariu selu husi Taxa nain iha Australia ho total montante US$757,960,” publika iha Jornal Australia nian ne’e.

PDT informa katak, “Desde lanxa ninia operasaun iha tinan 2007, ekipa PDT nian iha Timor-Leste aselera ona osan Dollares Amerikanu millaun 16 (($16,463,294.21) resin husi despeja foun sira ne’ebe konfirmadu ba iha emprezáriu Timoroan sira. Tuir esimativa, ninia rezultadu sei to’o Dollares Amerikanu millaun 23 ($23,060,000). PDT fasilita ona kontratu 10,000 resin liuhusi ninia servisu mak sira halo parseria (matchmaking) nian ho totál valór osan besik Dollares Amerikanu millaun 8 (millaun $8). Husi totál osan sira-ne’e besik Dollares Amerikanu millaun 7 (millaun $7) mak hatama ona ba iha área rurál sira ne’ebé mak iha desvantajen ekonómiku. Impaktu ekonómiku anuál husi projetu ida-ne’e nian bele kompara ba 0.41% husi GDP iha tinan 2007; 1.51% iha tinan 2008, no 0.91% iha tinan 2009.” 

Osan husi nasaun Doador sira nian mai atu foo apoiu ba povu Timor Leste maibe dala barak liu naran maka ma ii osan isin hela iha Kanberra, Washington ho Londres. “Projetu ida-ne’e lanxa atu hatán ba problema kritiku ne’ebé hatudu katak iha frasaun ki’ik oan ida deit husi osan internasionál nian ne’ebé gasta ona hodi fo apoiu ba Timor-Leste mak atualmente gasta ba iha empreza Timor nian. Maioria boot husi osan ne’e ba iha kompania no konsultór internasionál sira. Projetu merkadu nian rezolve problema ida-ne’e hodi fornese servisu sira ne’ebé ajuda lori doadór sira nia despeja ba iha ekonomia lokál nian, ida ne’ebé ikusmai sei hamosu rikusoin, kria serbisu, no prodús rendimentu impostu nian,” dehan iha PDT ninia surat ne’e.

PDT fornese ona servisu lima hodi liga sosa-nain internasionál sira ho fornesedór Timoroan sira.

Daudaun ne’e projetu ne’e nia ekipa halo Verifikasaun Negósiu nian, iha kooperasaun ho MTCI, verifika ona negósiu 2,700 iha Timor-Leste, no ida-idak iha pérfil negósiu ida úniku ne’ebé bele hetan iha BuildingMarkets.org. Timor-Leste nia web site ne’e to’o ona tempu atu hasa’e tán nia kapasidade ba iha Timor-Leste Business Portal (Portál Negósiu Timor-Leste) nian ida ne’ebé kompletu iha semana 3-4 tuir mai nia laran. Ekipa ida-ne’e mós fó sai ona relatóriu prinsipál sira kona-bá estadu/kondisaun husi sektór privadu nian no mós merkadu traballadór nian iha Timor-Leste, bele haree iha ne’e. Desde ninia lanxamentu iha loron 20 Maiu 2008, Timor-Leste iha BuildingMarkets.org hetan ona vizita hamutuk 20,000 ho pérfil negósiu nian ne’ebé ema haree ona dala 98,000. 

“Projetu ne’e nia Ekipa Halo Parseria (Matchmaking) nian ho pró ativu tebes halo ona ligasaun ba sosa-nain internasionál no nasionál sira ho fornesedór doméstiku sira iha rai-laran tomak. To’o ohin loron Ekipa Halo Parseria (Matchmaking) nian fasilita ka kria ona transasaun negósiu nian hamutuk 14,000 resin ho valór ida ne’ebé konfirmadu hamutuk Dollares Amerikanu millaun 8 (millaun $8.”

“Servisu Distribuisaun Tender (SDT) nian diriji tender sira liuhusi email, web, SMS no mós kópia iha surat-tahan ba negósiu sira iha Timor-Leste. Nia fornese ona servisu sira apoiu nian ba iha negósiu sira hodi dezenvolve sira nia oferta/proposta. To’o ohin loron SDT distribui ona tender hamutuk 496 ba simu-nain sira hamutuk 23,000 (barak mak kliente sira ne’ebé repete fila-fila). Valór husi tender ne’ebé mak PDT nia kliente sira manán ona hamutuk $8,000,000 resin.”

Francisco de Asis ne’ebe nu’udar ema segundu iha kompania Raflima ne’ebe sosa, foo han iha distritu Kovalima hodi exporta ba Indonesia hato’o ninia laran susar no husu atu bele Doador sira ho seriu atu ajuda hanaruk tan vida organizasaun ne’e.
 
Kompania ne’e ofisialmente hahu hetan licensa iha 2006. Iha Jullo ou agusto 2006 sira hahu Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) hahu fo apoiu informasaun ba sira. “Ihaq momentu ne’ebe straf balun husi PDT tulun ami ho didiak kona ba karau sira iha suku ne’ebe amid ala barak la konsege too. Ami dala balun ba de’it iha fatin ne’ebe besik maibe sira maka fasilita liu ami,” dehan Fransisco de Asis ba jornal ne’e iha Sexta (04/06).

Nia kontinua katak, “iha fatin ne’ebe ami la ba maibe sira maka ba to’o hetan karau bo’ot mai fali foo hatene no ami ba Lo’os duni ami hetan karau bo’ot tan ne’e maka ami servisu hamutuk dezde ne’eba too agora.”

Depois foin lalais ne’e sira atu ajuda tan ami. Husi PDT ajuda ami kalen ho ai. Ne’ebe ami agora kontente hela hetan ajuda sira ne’e husi PDT.

“Maibe depois PDT maka taka derepente entaun buat ne’ebe ami halo hamutuk atu hadia nasaun ne’e ita boot (Doador no Governu) sira halakon de’it.”

“Ami ho sira PDT ne’e kan agora ami servisu hamutuk nune’e dala ruma sira tulun ami ho informasaun husi Same no Manatutu tan ba sira PDT ne’e iha fatin bara-barak ne’ebe hato’o informasaun mai am ii ami mos ba sosa karau to’o iha ne’eba. “

Kuandu PDT remata duni ninia misaun maka emprezariu husi suai ne’e hanesan lakon ona ninia tilun sorin. “Se PDT taka duni maka sei iha impaktu baa mi nia bisnis tan ba informasaun de’it dala ruma ami labele hetan.”

Fransisco espera harohan atu PDT sei hetan ema ruma ninia laran luak hodi bele existe nafatin atu nune’e bele tulun halo ligasaun entre sira ho produtu local iha area izola atu nune’e sira bele ba sosa hodi lori ba merkadu. “Karik sebele sir abele iha nafatin lai ba tan ba sira konsege ona liga ami ho povu sira nia produtu iha suku no aldeia sira tan ba sira la’o tama sai hotu. Husi aldeia ba too suku hotu-hotu maka sira hetan karau ka iha kami ou hasil ruma sia mai hatoo informasaun mai ami mak ba sosa.”

Dala barak ami la too suku no fatin dook sira. Maibe sira maka la’o ba lori informasaun sira ne’e mai ami.  Tuir Fransisdco ne’ebe ho PDT ninia tulun konsege ona exporta karun husi Suai ba Batam Indonesia ne’e katak dezde 2006 ate agora nia rasik haluha ona numeru karau ne’ebe sira konesge koleta via PDT ninia informasaun no exporta kada dala ida too atus rua ou tolu. Foin daudaun ne’e ami konsege haruka sai 190 karau baka.”

“Ho informasaun PDT nian ne’e ami kontente tan ba aumenta lukru baa mi nia kompania,” remata Francisco.

NGO ne’e iha ekipa Merkadu (Marketing) no Advokasia nian mak jere kampaña Sosa iha Rai-Laran, Harii Timor-Leste, ne’ebé kria konxiénsia no koñesimentu kona-bá projetu ne’e no mós sektór privadu doméstiku nian iha jerál.”

PDT sira nia Atividade treinamentu suspende tiha iha tinan 2008 tanba falta iha finansiamentu, maibé tinan 2008 haree PDT lanxa livru matadalan "Halo Negósiu ho PNUD" iha tinan 2008, ne’ebe dezena hodi fó asisténsia ba negósiu lokál sira atu manán tender sira ho PNUD.”

Agusto Pinto direitor Karpinteiru Olobai Star iha Vikeke sente triste ho situasaun n’ebe infrenta husi ONG ne’e. “Durante tempu balun ami iha ne’e kekurangan informasi maibe ho kehadiran PDT ninia ami konsege hetan lukru tan ba sira lori ami liga ho fatin sira seluk,” informa Agusto ba Tempo Semanal iha Sexta (04/06).

“PDT mai ami hanesan ponte ida se karik ponte ne’e kotu ami iha mota sorin no ami nia kliente sira iha mota sorin entaun ami sei susar uitoan entaun ami husu ba doador sira atu nune’e sir abele tulun ami hodi fo servisu ba ema kiak sira seluk. Tan ami iha ne’e izoladu uitoan ne’ebe ami falta informasi i ho PDT ninia prezensa ne’e maka ami konsege faan ami nia produtu.”

“PDT hanesan ami nia lian hodi informasaun ba klientes sira. Kuandu ami halo kadeira ruma sira maka ba buka hela merkadu baa mi nia produtu i ami konsege netik osan ruma.”
Agusto rekunese katak sira seidauk iha esperiensia barak nune’e duni nia husu PDT atu, “akompania lai ami tan oras ne’e ami mesak seidauk bele faan ho didiak oin sa ami nia sasan ne’e bele folin.”

Kompania ne’ebe mos fornese kadeira balun mai Dili inklui instituisaun estadu balun ne’e nia director halo apelu ba Governu no Doador sira atu tulun sira nia matan, lian no tilun ne’e.“Ha’u husu ba Governu no doador sira ne’ebe durante ne’e fo suporta ba PDT sebele karik prolonga tan uitoan. Tan ba durante ami apreende uitoan maibe derepenti de’it sira taka ne’e sei fo impaktu ba ami liu-liu dalan atu hasoru malu ho ema sosa nain sira. Buat sira ne’e liu prosesu ida tan ba sira iha internet no sira nia kanais sira ka estaf sira ne’ebe mai hamutuk ho ami tulun ajuda ami atu la’o.”

Alfredo Malibere koordenador ba grupu Hametin Estadu husi Bobonaro mos triste ho Doador sira nia atetude ne’ebe ladun fo importansia ba servisu diak ne’ebe ONG ida halo maibe Doador sira gosta liu ajuda ema sira ne’ebe tuur iha Dili hodi hakerek relatoriu de’it.
Iha fatin seluk ida iha Bobonaro Justinho Luis husi kompania Loko Jaya lda. Ne’ebe ninia atividade maka sosa karau husi Manatutu, vikeke no maliana hodi halo exportasaun liu husi mota ain ba Indonesia sei presizsa nafatin ajuda husi PDT tan ba daudaun ne’e iha hela prosesu trata dokumentus hodi nune’e Indonesia atoriza hodi halo exporta Karau ba Indonesia.  “PDT sei ajuda hela ami, ho sira maka ami bele la’o ba oin nune’e se sira taka derepente ami labele la’o ba oin,” Justinho hato’o ninia laran triste.

Presidenti da Republika DR. Jose Ramos Horta ne’ebe fo apoiu ba NGO ne’e dezde tinan 2009 ba jornal ne’e hatoo ninia laran taridu. “Ha’u nia laran susar tebes duni ho Doadores sira maka ladun fo apoiu ba servisu ne’ebe Peace Dividend Trust halo. Se sira (doador) ko’alia kona ba apoiu emprezariu local maka dala ida atu apoiu sira halo ligasaun ba fornecedor no sosa nain sira.”

Presidenti ba Ema ki’ak ne’e preokupa ho ema ki’ak nia oan ne’ebe sei lakon servisu nune’e nia hatoo rekomendasaun loron 06/07/2009 atu doador sira bele fo apoiu liu tan ba PDT hodi halo Matchmaking hodi liga empreza sira iha area rurais ba cidade nop rai liur ne’e dala ida tan realsa ninia sentiment la satisfaz ho doador sira nia servisu. “Ha’u laran taridu ba doador sira nia lala’ok ne’ebe ladun fo apoiu ba servisu Peace Dividend Trust se sira koalia beibeik kona ba apoiu ba empreza local  kona ba dalan ida atu apoiu sira maka liga sira ho fornesedor no sosa nain sira, “ dehan Horta.

Ha’u la kontente tebes liu tiha ona ho doador ne’ebe ladun firmeza hodi fo apoiu ba Peace Dividend Trust tan ba ne’e hanesan ONG ida maka fo apoiu ba dezenvolvementu bisnis local sira ho ajuda sira halo ligasaun ba sosa nain no fornesedores partikularmente ba empreza kiik sira iha area rurais ne’ebe la hetan informasaun kona ba merkadu iha Dili no merkadu Internasional. Ha’u deskontente ona tan ba doadores sira ne’ebe maka ko’alia beibeik ona atu ajuda ekonomia local, fo apoiu ba dezenvolvimentu setor privadu maka la ajuda fali ONG ida maka loloos halo srvisu kapas liu iha dezenvolve daudaun kapasidade bisnis nain sira husi empreza kiik sira. Ne’e hanesan halo hau hakfodak no deskontente boot tebes,” dehan Ramos Horta.

Maiske nune’e Senhora Ali Gillies responsabel Ausaid ninian iha Dili hateten katak sira sei foo apoiu nafatin ba projetu ne’e hodi halo deit bisnis directory nune'e hatudu duni katak AusAid la rona no foo apoiu loloos ba Prezidente Horta nia preokupasaun hanesan Matchmaking ne'ebe lori benefisiu direita ba kompania iha area rurais hodi hamenus kiak iha Timor Leste.

Nia hateten katak Ausaid iha tinan tolu liu nia laran Ausaid fo apoiu total Milaun A$2.63 ho promove oportunidade bisnis ba fornecedor local sira. “Ami kontente katak ho ami nia apoiu PDT hetan sucesu dezenvolvel ona bisnis local ninia directory no facilita ona transasaun bisnis barak nu’udar kontribuisaun ba dezenvolvimentu setor privadu iha Timor Leste,” dehan Sr. Ali ho diplomasia.

Bainhira husu karik tan bas a maka sira hamenus ninia ajuda ba parte seluk iha Projectu ne’e daloa ida tan ho Diplomasia Ali Gillies tenta atu konvense Tempo Semanal katak PDT sei bele hetan apoiu husi parte seluk nune’e sira anunsiu ona atu hamenus sira nia staff iha fulan Jullo. Karik Ausaid se apoiu fali PDT iha antes fulan Jullo tama ita hein de’it.
 
PDT serbisu iha Timor-Leste nia distritu 13 hotu, hodi fó asisténsia ba negósiu 2,700, Ministériu Turizmu Komérsiu no Indústria (MTCI) no parseiru nasionál sira seluk. Sira sei lakon servisu ida ne’ebé importante se bainhira projetu Merkadu nian ne’e taka iha fulan Jullu 2010.

Projetu Merkadu Peace Dividend Timor-Leste nian ne’e lanxa iha fulan Agostu 2007. Nia iha sukursál kampu nian iha Baucau, Covalima, no Viqueque no serbisu hamutuk ho negósiu lokál sira iha Timor-Leste nia distritu rurál 12 iha adisaun ba Dili.

PDT agradese tebes ba Ministériu Turizmu Komérsiu no Indústria nian (MTCI) ba ninia parseria to’o ohin loron, no mós ba ninia doadór sira, AusAID, Governu Norvega, Eni, Fundu Kanadá nian ba Inisiativa Lokál (the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives) no mós ba Fundasaun Familia Arsenault nian (the Arsenault Family Foundation).